DeAndre Jordan Shares His Love For Houston Rap And Advice From DJ Khaled

LOS ANGELES – If you compiled a historical compendium of transcendent DJ moments, you’d inevitably slant towards Kool Herc pioneering hip-hop in a Bronx Rec center or Grand Wizard Theodore inventing the scratch. Maybe you’d hone in on the advancements of Jamaica’s King Tubby, the Daedelus of dub music, or U-Roy, whose toasting technique laid the foundation for the MC. You can’t omit the essential genius of House music godheads, Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles either.

But unless you’re signed to “We The Best Music,” you most likely wouldn’t include 2017’s All-Star Weekend on the list. Yet it’s worth reconsidering how last year’s dunk contest produced one of the most meta-moments in the history of the DJ. Specifically, the first round where DeAndre Jordan (DJ) jumped over a DJ booth to grab the ball from DJ Khaled, and successfully slammed it to the strains of Lil Wayne’s “Go DJ.” A perfect 10.0 score of irony. An absurd spectacle that warranted immortalization in bobblehead form.

Earlier this week, the Clippers gifted the first 10,000 fans to enter Staples Center with the bobblehead bronzing. Admittedly, my bobblehead criticism skills are rudimentary, but it strikes me as a commendable bobblehead with a miniaturist’s eye for detail. Khaled wears a “We the Best Chain” and stares at his cellphone screen with a desolate moth-eaten stare. Modern art is a complicated beast.

In honor of the occasion, the Clippers invited me to speak with DeAndre Jordan about his love of hip-hop. After all, the 29-year old Houston native was raised on UGK and DJ Screw, Swishahouse and Scarface. There’s also the time he got too distracted by 2Pac to answer a reporter’s post-game question.

Due to the vicissitudes of the NBA schedule, our originally scheduled interview time got pushed back until after last Saturday’s home game against Golden State. This seemed like a wonderful idea until Blake Griffin left before halftime with a concussion and the Clips got thrashed. Needless to say, if you have ever spent any time in an NBA locker room after a blowout, the players want to escape as quickly as possible. I’ve seen less awkward Nathan For You episodes.

So a planned 30-minute conversation about the merits of Wineberry Over Gold versus 3 ‘N’ The Morning Pt. 2 became two minutes with Jordan slumped against a wall — while a nearby Steph Curry posed for photos with fans and G-Eazy lingering and ran his fingers through his hair.

DJ Khaled would be hard-pressed to call it the best interview, but sometimes you just need to appease the eternal purple flame of Big Moe.

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What’s your favorite Screw Tape?

Man, Big Moe. [Let’s give DJ the benefit of the doubt and assume that he meant Moe on the June 27th freestyle]